ABOUT YOU
Which electronic devices do you use every day? What do you use them for? Which is the most important to you?
Every day I use my smartphone, laptop, and wireless earbuds. I use my smartphone for messaging friends, browsing social media, and checking the schedule, and I use my laptop for doing homework, studying online, and watching videos. The most important device to me is my smartphone because it keeps me connected with my family and friends and contains all the essential tools I need during the day.
VOCABULARY
1 Look at the photos. What can you see?
I can see modern autonomous cars driving on the road and an electric car connected to a charging station. The photos also show the interior of a vehicle equipped with advanced technology, such as large display screens and digital navigation systems.
2 What do you know about driverless or ‘self-driving’ cars? Do the quiz and find out!
1 A (in the 1920s) 2 C (The car drives itself.) 3 B (won’t exist – you won’t need one.) 4 A (electricity – just like your phone.) 5 C (an internet connection)
3 Listen to a clip from a podcast. Check your answers.
1 A (Engineers first began to think about self-driving cars in the 1920s.) 2 C (Autonomous means that a computer drives the car itself without a driver.) 3 B (You will not need a driving licence because a computer controls the car.) 4 A (Self-driving cars run on electricity, just like a mobile phone.) 5 C (Many autonomous cars will not have an internet connection due to safety and security concerns.)
4 Complete the sentences with the words in the box. Then listen to the podcast again and check.
1 You can get a self-driving car. What exactly is this invention? 2 Does it mean no more stops at the petrol pump on a long journey? 3 You will of course have to stop for some kind of fuel, and for these cars it’s electricity. 4 Like an electric car, you plug it in to charge the battery so that it gets the power it needs to continue. 5 Just like the map app on your phone, it will get directions from GPS satellite signals and that will show up on the display in the car. 6 But many autonomous cars will not have a connection to the internet because of safety concerns. 7 At the moment, companies are carrying out a lot of safety tests and experiments on these cars.
5 Discuss the questions.
1 In my opinion, driverless cars will be very common in the future, but not everyone will own one immediately. Some people will still prefer driving manual cars, and the technology might initially be too expensive for everyone.
2 I feel excited about driverless cars because they can make long journeys more relaxing and potentially reduce traffic accidents. However, I also feel slightly nervous about relying completely on computers and software without human control.
3 Yes, modern inventions really interest me because they make our everyday lives easier and solve important global problems. I especially enjoy learning about green technologies, robotics, and artificial intelligence.
READING
1 Look at the title of the article. How do you think a car could use social media for fuel?
A car cannot run on social media directly as physical fuel, but its onboard computer can be programmed to unlock electric power or move forward only when people interact with posts, use specific hashtags, or follow certain accounts online.
2 Read the article quickly to check your ideas.
The car is an electric vehicle powered by a lithium-ion battery, but its computer controls the electricity supply so that it moves forward only when it receives online support, gaining “social watts” for new Twitter followers and mentions of the hashtag #MINDDRIVE.
3 Read the article more carefully and for each question, choose the correct answer.
1 C (how an after-school project was carried out)
2 A (to encourage particular students to feel more confident.)
3 B (provide them with experience of real situations.)
4 D (achieving something by getting enough public support.)
5 B (The project’s amazing! We’re going to tell people in Washington that the lessons we get in school aren’t right for everyone.)
TALKING POINTS
What do you think the students involved in the Minddrive project enjoyed about it? Would you like to take part in a project like Minddrive? Why? / Why not?
The students definitely enjoyed the hands-on experience of transforming a classic car into an electric vehicle, working together as a team, and driving across the country to share their ideas with politicians.
I would love to take part in a project like Minddrive because it offers a great opportunity to gain practical engineering skills that are not taught in regular school classes. Building something real and promoting a meaningful educational message would be an unforgettable experience.
GRAMMAR
1 Read the examples. Then complete the rules with will, be going to or the present continuous.
We use: a will for a general prediction about the future. b the present continuous for a definite future arrangement. c will for an offer or promise relating to the future. d be going to for a personal plan or intention for the future.
2 Look at the examples of the future continuous. Choose the correct words to complete the rules.
a We form the future continuous with will + be + -ing. b We use the future continuous to talk about something that is certain to happen at a particular time in the future.
3 Complete the sentences with the future continuous form of the verbs in the box. There are two extra verbs that you don’t need.
1 I will be waiting for you outside the station tonight. 2 From next week, the class will be studying American history. 3 We will be holding a party on New Year’s Eve, as usual. 4 My brother will be taking his university exams in a month’s time. 5 Julia won’t be seeing her friends on Friday. 6 Within ten years, everyone in this city will be driving electric cars.
4 Choose the correct verb form.
1 Tomorrow I am going to buy a new DVD with my money. 2 I think that I am going to visit my cousins. 3 I’ll be working on Saturday, unfortunately. 4 It’s great to hear that you are going to visit my country. 5 I’m sure you will like it. 6 Don’t worry, we’ll collect your suitcase from the hotel.
5 Turn to page 135
Student A and Student B practice questions and answers about future activities and plans:
Student A: What will you be doing at eight o’clock tomorrow evening? Student B: I will be doing my homework and getting ready for school. What about you? Student A: I will be watching a football match on TV with my brother. Are you going to do anything special this weekend? Student B: Yes, I am going to visit my grandparents in the countryside. I think we will have a great time together!
VOCABULARY
1 Read the examples. Then write (not) enough, too or very next to meanings a–d.
a as much as necessary — enough
b more than is wanted or necessary — too
c used to make an adjective or adverb stronger — very
d less than necessary — not enough
2 Choose the correct option in sentences 1 and 2. Then choose the correct option to complete rules a and b.
1 There is enough petrol in the car.
2 This car isn’t big enough for a family of 6!
a Enough comes before nouns.
b Enough comes after adjectives.
3 Complete the sentences with enough, too or very. Use each word twice.
1 This invention makes dirty water clean enough to drink.
2 My parents wanted to buy an electric car, but it was too expensive.
3 You have to be very careful when driving in heavy rain.
4 Have we got enough time to get something to eat before the film starts?
5 Some people think that driverless cars are too dangerous to be on the roads.
6 Computer programming is a very useful skill to have nowadays.
4 Work in pairs. Turn to page 135.
A smartphone is small enough to fit in a pocket, but sometimes the screen is too small to watch long films comfortably. A laptop is very useful for schoolwork, but it is too heavy to carry around everywhere all day.
WRITING
1 Look at the photo of a smartphone. What can it do?
A modern smartphone can perform many functions: it can make voice and video calls, browse the internet, take high-resolution photos and videos, run various applications and games, play music, and provide GPS navigation.
2 Read the task and the sample answer. Which point in the task is not covered in the answer?
The point “Do you think mobile phones will become even more popular?” is not covered in the sample answer.
3 Add a sentence to the article to answer the final point in the task.
I believe that mobile phones will become even more popular in the future because people will use them for almost every daily activity.
4 Read the Prepare to write box. What kinds of mistake do you usually make in your writing?
I usually make spelling mistakes when writing quickly, and sometimes I forget to check subject-verb agreement or word order in complex sentences.
5 Correct the underlined mistakes in the sentences. Then match the mistakes to the types of mistake in the Prepare to write box.
1 The battery’s too old. — punctuation 2 The internet connection isn’t fast enough. — word order 3 I dropped my phone and it stopped working. — pronouns 4 I’d like a smartphone with a wider screen. — vocabulary 5 What are the most popular Canadian phones? — spelling 6 One of the best phones is made by an American company. — agreement
6 Find and correct seven mistakes in the student’s piece of writing.
List of mistakes and corrections:
- becous because (spelling)
- he it (pronoun)
- Is It is (missing subject pronoun)
- important for me important to me (preposition / vocabulary)
- things … is things … are (agreement)
- the number of memory the amount of memory (vocabulary)
- enjoy to take enjoy taking (grammar / verb pattern)
Corrected text: I like my phone, but I want a new one because I have an old one, but it is broken. It is so important to me. For me, the most important things in a phone are the size of the screen and the amount of memory. I enjoy taking photos.
7 Read the task below and plan your ideas. Make sure you cover all the points in the task.
Title: Great games for mobile phones
Plan:
- Paragraph 1: What makes a good mobile game (great graphics, engaging gameplay, easy controls).
- Paragraph 2: Why people enjoy playing mobile games (convenient on the go, a fun way to relax and pass the time, playing with friends).
- Paragraph 3: Games available ten years from now (virtual reality, realistic 3D graphics, artificial intelligence characters).
8 Write your article in about 100 words.
Mobile gaming has become extremely popular over recent years. A good mobile phone game needs colourful graphics, smooth controls, and challenging levels to keep players engaged and entertained.
People enjoy playing games on their phones because it is very convenient. You can play almost anywhere to pass the time on a bus or to relax after school. Moreover, many games allow you to compete and chat with friends online.
Ten years from now, mobile games will be far more advanced. We will likely be playing fully immersive virtual reality games with hyper-realistic graphics and intelligent characters that react to our actions.
ABOUT YOU
07 Watch the video and then answer the questions. How important are animals to you? Do you have any favourite animals? Which animals in Ukraine are in danger? Why?
Animals are very important to me because they maintain the natural balance of our ecosystem. My favourite animals are wolves and dolphins because they are intelligent, loyal, and fascinating creatures. In Ukraine, animals such as the Eurasian lynx, the brown bear, and the European bison are in danger. They are endangered mainly because of habitat loss, deforestation, illegal hunting, and human expansion into wild areas.
VOCABULARY
1 Look at the photos. Why do you think each animal is in danger? Which do you think is most in danger? Give your reasons.
- Photo A (Bluefin tuna): It is in danger because of severe overfishing driven by high demand for seafood and sushi.
- Photo B (Tiger): It is endangered due to illegal hunting for skins and bones, as well as habitat destruction caused by deforestation.
- Photo C (Honey bee): It is threatened by the widespread use of pesticides in farming, loss of wildflowers, and climate change.
- Photo D (Frog / Amphibian): It is in danger because of pollution of water sources, loss of wetland habitats, and changes in temperature.
Tigers and bluefin tuna are among the most immediately endangered species due to human overexploitation, but honey bees are arguably the most critical because their disappearance would collapse ecosystems and human food production.
2 Listen to three teenagers talking about three of the animals. What problems does each person mention?
- Daniel (Honey bees): He mentions that the honey bee population is decreasing significantly. This is a major issue because bees pollinate crops and wild plants; without them, food supplies would decline and food prices would rise.
- Ruth (Bluefin tuna): She explains that the bluefin tuna is severely overfished because it is a popular ingredient in sushi, which damages the ecological balance of the ocean environment.
- Tommy (Tigers): He mentions that more than 95% of wild tigers have disappeared due to human activities, especially hunting and the destruction of their natural jungle habitat as trees are cut down for wood.
3 Complete the sentences with the words in the box. Then listen again and check.
1 This problem is as serious as saving the rainforest. 2 The population of honey bees today is far lower than it used to be. 3 Bees and other insects help our crops to grow in the fields. 4 Some people say that the bluefin tuna is one of the tastiest living creatures in the sea. 5 Well, this large fish is also endangered, probably more so. 6 The balance of the ocean environment will be damaged forever. 7 This is all due to the actions of humans. 8 Besides hunting, tigers are facing another challenge. 9 The landscape where they live is changing, as more and more trees are cut down. 10 The areas of jungle are getting smaller. 11 Their habitat is decreasing all the time.
4 Work in groups. Decide which animal in the photos is the most important to humans. Can you all agree?
We all agreed that bees are the most important creatures to humans. They pollinate many of the crops and plants that provide our food supply. Without bees, the global ecosystem and agriculture would collapse.
5 Discuss the questions.
1 It is extremely important to protect animals in the wild because every species plays a vital role in keeping ecosystems balanced and healthy.
2 We could help by recycling, reducing our plastic consumption, supporting conservation organisations, and raising awareness about endangered wildlife.
3 In my opinion, not enough is being done because huge areas of rainforest are still being cut down every day for agriculture and wood production.